Author
Topic: US Spousal Immigration Visa Thread (Read 175586 times)

donovan

I get that things change, but do they really change *so* quickly that they can't update text on an official website? (Rhetorical question. Just a rant.)

I'm not so worried about the packet stuff because those instructions will be sent to me directly from them and I would hope I could expect that to be accurate and up to date. I'm more concerned about taking off work, going to the embassy for my appointment, being told that I'm missing things that were not even listed, and then having to do it all over again two weeks later. (And maybe once more if requirements change again!)

I get that things change, but do they really change *so* quickly that they can't update text on an official website? (Rhetorical question. Just a rant.)

I'm not so worried about the packet stuff because those instructions will be sent to me directly from them and I would hope I could expect that to be accurate and up to date. I'm more concerned about taking off work, going to the embassy for my appointment, being told that I'm missing things that were not even listed, and then having to do it all over again two weeks later. (And maybe once more if requirements change again!)

I'm curious though....

Quote

Their main concern is if the "marriage" is legitimate.

...Why did you put marriage in scare quotes? It's legit, I swear!

As long as you go through the instructions carefully, you should have no problems. One thing to look out for is the dates on the downloadable paperwork. You want to make sure that the expiration date has not past. If you don't have current paperwork they will not accept it, and you could be missing documents.

I put marriage in quotes because that is their (immigration) main concern. It wasn't directed at you, just more of a general statement. As long as that is legit, they will work with you on everything else for the most part. Don't worry to much about missing paperwork. If you were missing paperwork, I am pretty sure they will allow you to mail the missing documents to them. I don't think you would have to have another appointment. You will have a total of 2 appointments. 1 for submitting the I-130, and one more for the Visa interview. Actually, you don't even have to go to the Visa interview, just the pending immigrant. I would recommend going though, just my opinion. As for the appointments, just be aware that they only take appointments on certain days for USCIS services. The other days they go to the military posts and offer their services.

donovan

As for the appointments, just be aware that they only take appointments on certain days for USCIS services. The other days they go to the military posts and offer their services.

Good to know. Actually, the one thing that seems to be up to date on the USCIS website is their slick new reservation system. It asks what the purpose of visit is (click petition) and then it gives you a calendar with only the days that service is offered along with a handful of times to choose from.

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donovan

Just had my petition submission appointment this afternoon. I got there early and ended up finishing before my scheduled appointment time, despite the confirmation page saying you can't enter any earlier than 15 minutes before the appointment. As a U.S. citizen, here's everything I was asked to submit:

*Form I-130. Make sure it's the most current version.*Form I-130A*NO G-325A forms! These are no longer used.*A copy of your civil marriage certificate*A copy of your spouses birth/basic certificate*A copy of your spouses family registry*Translations of all three aforementioned documents (can be done by spouse)*A certification of accurate translation (make your own)*A copy of all divorce decrees, death certificates, or annulment decrees that demonstrate that all previous marriages entered into by you and/or your spouse were terminated*Passport style photos (white background, 51mm x 51mm) of you and your spouse. Just 1 was needed of the spouse and 1 of the petitioner. Write your respective names on the back.*Evidence of all legal name changes for you and/or your spouse (may include marriage certificates, divorce decrees, court judgment of name change, adoption decrees, etc.)*The fee of $535 turned out to be 642ooo KRW! I probably would have been better off paying in USD, but I had only prepared KRW.*Bring both your and your spouse's passports. They will be handed back to you. Submit a copy of each.*Bring proof of residency for yourself, e.g. Your ARC card. Submit a copy of it, front and back.*Not required, but Window Lady said she would accept photos of us if I had any to provide. Couldn't hurt to bring some along to submit.

Just had my petition submission appointment this afternoon. I got there early and ended up finishing before my scheduled appointment time, despite the confirmation page saying you can't enter any earlier than 15 minutes before the appointment. As a U.S. citizen, here's everything I was asked to submit:

*Form I-130. Make sure it's the most current version.*Form I-130A*NO G-325A forms! These are no longer used.*A copy of your civil marriage certificate*A copy of your spouses birth/basic certificate*A copy of your spouses family registry*Translations of all three aforementioned documents (can be done by spouse)*A certification of accurate translation (make your own)*A copy of all divorce decrees, death certificates, or annulment decrees that demonstrate that all previous marriages entered into by you and/or your spouse were terminated*Passport style photos (white background, 51mm x 51mm) of you and your spouse. Just 1 was needed of the spouse and 1 of the petitioner. Write your respective names on the back.*Evidence of all legal name changes for you and/or your spouse (may include marriage certificates, divorce decrees, court judgment of name change, adoption decrees, etc.)*The fee of $535 turned out to be 642ooo KRW! I probably would have been better off paying in USD, but I had only prepared KRW.*Bring both your and your spouse's passports. They will be handed back to you. Submit a copy of each.*Bring proof of residency for yourself, e.g. Your ARC card. Submit a copy of it, front and back.*Not required, but Window Lady said she would accept photos of us if I had any to provide. Couldn't hurt to bring some along to submit.

She said it would take 2 months to get a response.

Good luck! I need to start this process at some point. Thanks for the info.

For all...applications and petitions that you submit to this office, you must pay the fees to the U.S. Embassy cashier in U.S. dollars, Korean won, or U.S. Postal money orders, or by credit card. Proper identification, a local address, or a telephone number may be requested for money orders. We do not accept certified checks or personal checks.

It says you can pay with credit cards without specifying domestic or foreign. As long as there are no geo-restrictions on your card, I don't see why you would have a problem using your American card.

Just had my petition submission appointment this afternoon. I got there early and ended up finishing before my scheduled appointment time, despite the confirmation page saying you can't enter any earlier than 15 minutes before the appointment. As a U.S. citizen, here's everything I was asked to submit:

*Form I-130. Make sure it's the most current version.*Form I-130A*NO G-325A forms! These are no longer used.*A copy of your civil marriage certificate*A copy of your spouses birth/basic certificate*A copy of your spouses family registry*Translations of all three aforementioned documents (can be done by spouse)*A certification of accurate translation (make your own)*A copy of all divorce decrees, death certificates, or annulment decrees that demonstrate that all previous marriages entered into by you and/or your spouse were terminated*Passport style photos (white background, 51mm x 51mm) of you and your spouse. Just 1 was needed of the spouse and 1 of the petitioner. Write your respective names on the back.*Evidence of all legal name changes for you and/or your spouse (may include marriage certificates, divorce decrees, court judgment of name change, adoption decrees, etc.)*The fee of $535 turned out to be 642ooo KRW! I probably would have been better off paying in USD, but I had only prepared KRW.*Bring both your and your spouse's passports. They will be handed back to you. Submit a copy of each.*Bring proof of residency for yourself, e.g. Your ARC card. Submit a copy of it, front and back.*Not required, but Window Lady said she would accept photos of us if I had any to provide. Couldn't hurt to bring some along to submit.

She said it would take 2 months to get a response.

You needed your spouses birth certificate and family registry? I didn't need any of that for the petition submission. I do need that for the visa interview though.

She also told me it would take about 2 months. It took three days So, don't be surprised if you get an approval email soon.

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donovan

Just had my petition submission appointment this afternoon. I got there early and ended up finishing before my scheduled appointment time, despite the confirmation page saying you can't enter any earlier than 15 minutes before the appointment. As a U.S. citizen, here's everything I was asked to submit:

*Form I-130. Make sure it's the most current version.*Form I-130A*NO G-325A forms! These are no longer used.*A copy of your civil marriage certificate*A copy of your spouses birth/basic certificate*A copy of your spouses family registry*Translations of all three aforementioned documents (can be done by spouse)*A certification of accurate translation (make your own)*A copy of all divorce decrees, death certificates, or annulment decrees that demonstrate that all previous marriages entered into by you and/or your spouse were terminated*Passport style photos (white background, 51mm x 51mm) of you and your spouse. Just 1 was needed of the spouse and 1 of the petitioner. Write your respective names on the back.*Evidence of all legal name changes for you and/or your spouse (may include marriage certificates, divorce decrees, court judgment of name change, adoption decrees, etc.)*The fee of $535 turned out to be 642ooo KRW! I probably would have been better off paying in USD, but I had only prepared KRW.*Bring both your and your spouse's passports. They will be handed back to you. Submit a copy of each.*Bring proof of residency for yourself, e.g. Your ARC card. Submit a copy of it, front and back.*Not required, but Window Lady said she would accept photos of us if I had any to provide. Couldn't hurt to bring some along to submit.

She said it would take 2 months to get a response.

You needed your spouses birth certificate and family registry? I didn't need any of that for the petition submission. I do need that for the visa interview though.

She also told me it would take about 2 months. It took three days So, don't be surprised if you get an approval email soon.

Oh. Well. Maybe she didn't need it. haha. She seemed willing to take anything I had as long as it had an English translation. I submitted it with the petition it because that's what I had read I needed from the website and from this thread

Just had my petition submission appointment this afternoon. I got there early and ended up finishing before my scheduled appointment time, despite the confirmation page saying you can't enter any earlier than 15 minutes before the appointment. As a U.S. citizen, here's everything I was asked to submit:

*Form I-130. Make sure it's the most current version.*Form I-130A*NO G-325A forms! These are no longer used.*A copy of your civil marriage certificate*A copy of your spouses birth/basic certificate*A copy of your spouses family registry*Translations of all three aforementioned documents (can be done by spouse)*A certification of accurate translation (make your own)*A copy of all divorce decrees, death certificates, or annulment decrees that demonstrate that all previous marriages entered into by you and/or your spouse were terminated*Passport style photos (white background, 51mm x 51mm) of you and your spouse. Just 1 was needed of the spouse and 1 of the petitioner. Write your respective names on the back.*Evidence of all legal name changes for you and/or your spouse (may include marriage certificates, divorce decrees, court judgment of name change, adoption decrees, etc.)*The fee of $535 turned out to be 642ooo KRW! I probably would have been better off paying in USD, but I had only prepared KRW.*Bring both your and your spouse's passports. They will be handed back to you. Submit a copy of each.*Bring proof of residency for yourself, e.g. Your ARC card. Submit a copy of it, front and back.*Not required, but Window Lady said she would accept photos of us if I had any to provide. Couldn't hurt to bring some along to submit.

She said it would take 2 months to get a response.

You needed your spouses birth certificate and family registry? I didn't need any of that for the petition submission. I do need that for the visa interview though.

She also told me it would take about 2 months. It took three days So, don't be surprised if you get an approval email soon.

Oh. Well. Maybe she didn't need it. haha. She seemed willing to take anything I had as long as it had an English translation. I submitted it with the petition it because that's what I had read I needed from the website and from this thread

And yeah, hoping the email will come sooner than July^^

Yea, that's what I was referring to earlier about it changing, and outdated websites. It could be that you needed that, it might have changed . Honestly, it's hard to keep up with them. Best of luck on getting the Epkt3 early!

Just had my petition submission appointment this afternoon. I got there early and ended up finishing before my scheduled appointment time, despite the confirmation page saying you can't enter any earlier than 15 minutes before the appointment. As a U.S. citizen, here's everything I was asked to submit:

*Form I-130. Make sure it's the most current version.*Form I-130A*NO G-325A forms! These are no longer used.*A copy of your civil marriage certificate*A copy of your spouses birth/basic certificate*A copy of your spouses family registry*Translations of all three aforementioned documents (can be done by spouse)*A certification of accurate translation (make your own)*A copy of all divorce decrees, death certificates, or annulment decrees that demonstrate that all previous marriages entered into by you and/or your spouse were terminated*Passport style photos (white background, 51mm x 51mm) of you and your spouse. Just 1 was needed of the spouse and 1 of the petitioner. Write your respective names on the back.*Evidence of all legal name changes for you and/or your spouse (may include marriage certificates, divorce decrees, court judgment of name change, adoption decrees, etc.)*The fee of $535 turned out to be 642ooo KRW! I probably would have been better off paying in USD, but I had only prepared KRW.*Bring both your and your spouse's passports. They will be handed back to you. Submit a copy of each.*Bring proof of residency for yourself, e.g. Your ARC card. Submit a copy of it, front and back.*Not required, but Window Lady said she would accept photos of us if I had any to provide. Couldn't hurt to bring some along to submit.

She said it would take 2 months to get a response.

You needed your spouses birth certificate and family registry? I didn't need any of that for the petition submission. I do need that for the visa interview though.

She also told me it would take about 2 months. It took three days So, don't be surprised if you get an approval email soon.

Oh. Well. Maybe she didn't need it. haha. She seemed willing to take anything I had as long as it had an English translation. I submitted it with the petition it because that's what I had read I needed from the website and from this thread

And yeah, hoping the email will come sooner than July^^

When you say it only took 3 days, do you mean your spouse got a green card for the states in 3 days?

Just had my petition submission appointment this afternoon. I got there early and ended up finishing before my scheduled appointment time, despite the confirmation page saying you can't enter any earlier than 15 minutes before the appointment. As a U.S. citizen, here's everything I was asked to submit:

*Form I-130. Make sure it's the most current version.*Form I-130A*NO G-325A forms! These are no longer used.*A copy of your civil marriage certificate*A copy of your spouses birth/basic certificate*A copy of your spouses family registry*Translations of all three aforementioned documents (can be done by spouse)*A certification of accurate translation (make your own)*A copy of all divorce decrees, death certificates, or annulment decrees that demonstrate that all previous marriages entered into by you and/or your spouse were terminated*Passport style photos (white background, 51mm x 51mm) of you and your spouse. Just 1 was needed of the spouse and 1 of the petitioner. Write your respective names on the back.*Evidence of all legal name changes for you and/or your spouse (may include marriage certificates, divorce decrees, court judgment of name change, adoption decrees, etc.)*The fee of $535 turned out to be 642ooo KRW! I probably would have been better off paying in USD, but I had only prepared KRW.*Bring both your and your spouse's passports. They will be handed back to you. Submit a copy of each.*Bring proof of residency for yourself, e.g. Your ARC card. Submit a copy of it, front and back.*Not required, but Window Lady said she would accept photos of us if I had any to provide. Couldn't hurt to bring some along to submit.

She said it would take 2 months to get a response.

You needed your spouses birth certificate and family registry? I didn't need any of that for the petition submission. I do need that for the visa interview though.

She also told me it would take about 2 months. It took three days So, don't be surprised if you get an approval email soon.

Oh. Well. Maybe she didn't need it. haha. She seemed willing to take anything I had as long as it had an English translation. I submitted it with the petition it because that's what I had read I needed from the website and from this thread

And yeah, hoping the email will come sooner than July^^

When you say it only took 3 days, do you mean your spouse got a green card for the states in 3 days?

No, when I say it only took 3 days, it means for the I-130 approval. They say it takes two months, meaning for the approval of the I-130. I suppose you could actually get the Visa stamped in the passport in less then a week if said immigrant scheduled the medical check for a few days after the I-130 petition, had all other paperwork done (gathered) and was able to set up the visa interview for the same week after receiving the Epkt-3. Don't know if I would want to take that chance though, but it could be done theoretically. As for the green card, the immigrant will not receive that until they are at their place of residence in the United States. USCIS actually mails it to them. There is a place on one of the documents for that information.

Sorry if this is a stupid question but do I have to go there in person for the I130 submission?I live in Changwon and would have to take a day off of work. Can the petition be mailed in? Or could my wife submit it?

You don't have to go in but if you mail it to the Chicago center it will take a very long time. Also cross your fingers that everything is correct in your paper work because it will set you back even longer if it isn't. Just take a vacation day and go up there. I said I had to deal with embassy stuff for my Visa. I also live in Changwon and had to deal with this exact same situation. The embassy lady I talked to highly recommended I did it in person and I am glad I did. It went much faster.

Don't know if you know this or not but the Seoul office only takes in person submissions. All mailed in submissions have to be sent to Chicago. Also it took me a total of 30 minutes to complete it. 25 minutes were me waiting to be called to the counter and 5 of me handing it in. I spent 8 hours of travel for 5 minutes of work and I would still recommend you do it in person instead of mailing it in.

Oh and forgot to mention. Yes your wife can submit it. The I-130 is very informal. They just want all the paperwork. It doesnt matter who turns it in. Your interview will be different though and both of you should attend.

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donovan

We are still waiting on our packet III, but I ordered my tax transcripts ahead of time and they just arrived in my mailbox last night. But what's their purpose exactly? Are they there to prove my income or to prove that I'm current on my taxes? If they're meant to show that I'm current, the transcripts I received would work for that purpose, but they show nothing of my current income because it's all foreign-earned. Adjusted Gross income: $0. Taxable income: $0. I hope this doesn't mean I filed my taxes incorrectly... If the transcripts are indeed needed to prove income, in lieu of having a copy of the 1040 I filed, do you think it would be possible to hand write a 'copy' using new forms and all the same information?

The US tax transcripts are used to prove affidavit of support for your wife. On the US tax transcripts it will show the amount earned in Korea with the US dollar equivalent. As long as you are over the threshold for you house size.